http://www.okanaganwines.ca Welcome to the sun-drenched Okanagan Valley, home to world-class vintners and a vibrant wine community. Okanagan Wines offers a wealth of information about the Valley's wineries, wines, events, awards, news and photographs. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:09:41 PST OkanaganWines.ca RSS generator using PHP/5.2.10 Copyright OkanaganWines.ca. All rights reserved. en http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/48/Orofino-Vineyards-Announces-New-Releases/ 2010 CHARDONNAY After missing the 2009 vintage, we are happy to say that our chardonnay 2010 is now available! Sorry to make you wait so long.(We had a few harsh emails about the skipped vintage)! The 2010 is definetely our style of wine. It is big, rich and loaded with meyer lemon and tropical flavours. 40% was fermented and aged in barrel and 60% done in stainless steel. No malolactic fermentation took place to retain bright and fresh flavours. The grapes come from Blind Creek Vineyard which is about a 10 minute walk from the winery. We'll happily drink this over the next 5 years. Only 160 cases produced. 2010 CHILL This is a delicious wine that is made from our old muscat and riesling vines. Those of you who snapped up our Late harvest Muscat will want to stock this pretty wine as it shows all of that delicate orange blossom and floral notes we all love from our muscat wines and has a nice fresh lip-smacking finish that goes on and on. The grapes for this wine were picked and pressed in bone-chilling -14 degree temperatures (extreme icewine conditions!). We made 50 cases of 200ml bottles. It is perfect (and affordable) decadence! Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:00:00 PDT http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/48/Orofino-Vineyards-Announces-New-Releases/ http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/47/Pinot-Noir-Library-Release/ One of the great pleasures for us at the winery is being able to retain a library of past releases of our favourite wines. This month we offer a package of our past releases of fantastic Pinot Noir bottlings. Including vintages of the masculine pinot noir Belle and the feminine pinot noir Perigee, it is a yin-yang of some of BC's best ever pinot noir. Each 6 pack contains - 2x 2005 Belle Pinot Noir - a wine Bruce Schoenfeld once commented reminded him of the wines of Grand Echezeaux 2x 2006 Belle Pinot Noir - a Gold medal winner at the international wine competition in Berlin 2x 2006 Perigee Pinot Noir - a Gold medal winner from Pacific Northwest Wine Press Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:00:00 PDT http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/47/Pinot-Noir-Library-Release/ http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/46/Three-Hot-New-Listings!/ Three hot new listings! Hester Creek Estate Winery introduces two new wines which express the character of the Golden Mile Bench. Character White; a vibrant and luscious blend as tropical fruits and peach greet the nose, the mid palate is supple and layered with a crisp delightful finish. Character Red; a mouth filling complex blend, layered on the nose with a complex mid palate and a silky spicy finish. The third wine in the portfolio is The Judge; a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc blend. A true expression of the Golden Mile Bench, the grapes for this wine come from some of our estate’s oldest plantings. After 12 to 16 months of aging, special barrels are chosen and blended. The blended wine is then barrelled for an additional 12 months, allowing all the components to marry, creating a wine that is well structured and complex. The primary vintage of The Judge, we’re proud to say, sold out in 5 months. Please visit us in early Spring for the release of the 2008 Judge. Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:00:00 PDT http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/46/Three-Hot-New-Listings!/ http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/45/Seven-Stones-Releases-2009-Cabernet-Franc/ Many have been asking about the release date of our Cabernet Franc 2009. Well, here it is! Last’s year Cabernet Franc sold out in 10 days so we decided to increase our production from 90 cases to 235 cases! The Cabernet Franc 2009 was bottled on March 29th of this year after being aged in new French oak barrels for 17 months. We sent this young wine to the All Canadian Wine Championships and to the Northwest Wine Summit Competition and won silver medals at both competitions! Tasting notes: The nose features fragrances of plum, black pepper, raspberry and toasty vanilla. Layers of elegant and well structured flavors of raspberry, chocolate and coffee on the mid-palate are followed by a soft and spicy finish. It’s simply a marvelous Cabernet Franc! We recommend cellaring this wine as it will get even better with time! Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:00:00 PDT http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/45/Seven-Stones-Releases-2009-Cabernet-Franc/ http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/44/Lieutenant-Governors-Awards-for-Excellence-in-British-Columbia-Wines/ In 2003, the then Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, the Honourable Iona Campagnolo, consulted with wine industry professionals throughout the province to establish the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines.The awards program recognizes and honours excellence in wines made from 100% grapes, grown and processed within the province. The winners for 2011 are: Howling Bluff Estate Winery - 2009 Pinot Noir Laughing Stock Vineyards - 2010 Pinot Gris Mt. Lehman Winery - 2009 Viognier Reserve Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery - 2008 Syrah Red Rooster Winery - 2008 Meritage Sandhill Wines - 2009 Small Lots Syrah St. Hubertus and Oak Bay Estate Winery - 2009 Dry Riesling Stoneboat Vineyards - 2009 Pinot Noir Sumac Ridge Estate Winery - 2006 Steller's Jay Brut Volcanic Hills Estate Winery - 2010 Ros?Wild Goose Vineyards and Winery - 2010 Mystic River Pinot Blanc Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:00:00 PDT http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/44/Lieutenant-Governors-Awards-for-Excellence-in-British-Columbia-Wines/ http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/42/Chef-Willi-Franz-named-Canadian-Chef-of-the-Year!/ We are excited to announce that Chef Willi Franz of the Grapevine Restaurant at Gray Monk Estate Winery was awarded Canadian Chef of the Year, by the Canadian Culinary Federation of Chefs and Cooks (CCFCC). The award is given every year to the Chef Member who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession of Culinary Arts and who has demonstrated remarkable commitment to the Canadian Culinary Federation. The Okanagan Chefs Association also recently honoured him as 2010 Chef of the Year, recognized by his peers for his work and commitment to both the association and his profession. Chef Willi sets a very high standard of professionalism in and out of the kitchen. Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:00:00 PDT http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/42/Chef-Willi-Franz-named-Canadian-Chef-of-the-Year!/ http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/43/Blue-Mountain-Magnum-Release/ With great excitement, we are releasing the Stripe Label Pinot Noir 2007 Magnum. After a short break, this is the first bottling of magnums since the 2003 vintage. The Magnums are packaged three to a wooden crate for $240 per crate. Due to limited quantities, there is a maximum of one crate per customer. All orders will be shipped on Monday, June 27, unless otherwise requested. To purchase email: bluemountain@bluemountainwinery.com or call: (250) 497-8244 We look forward to hearing from you. Have a great summer! Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:00:00 PDT http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/43/Blue-Mountain-Magnum-Release/ http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/38/Just-Released-2009-Golden-Egg/ Last produced in 2003, the icon wine of Red Rooster is only produced in an exceptional vintage. Winemaker Karen Gillis' notes: "After many years of fascination with Rhone-style reds, I decided to work with a couple of our passionate growers who are innovative, thirsty for knowledge, and enjoy a challenge. I asked them to work with (and trust) me to plant some Mourvedre, Syrah and Grenache grapes in their vineyards. In 2009 when the vines were producing great fruit, I remember being in their vineyards almost every day tasting the berries to find that perfect ripeness for when to pick. Once picked, I knew the rest was up to me. I 'babied' these wines through fermentation and gave them a year in older French and American oak barrels. Now the 'Golden Egg' has finally hatched (so to speak). I'm thrilled to share this wine with you." Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:00:00 PDT http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/38/Just-Released-2009-Golden-Egg/ http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/37/Laughing-Stock-Releases-Two-New-Wines/ Heat up your wine cellar by investing in our latest releases of two block-buster red wines. Both big wines, and able to age for 5-7 years, however will also pair well with a grilled rib-eye this summer. Blind Trust Red 2009 Blind taste the Blind Trust and try to guess the varietals before disclosing the assets which are kept under wrap and seal of the capsule. This year's combination of varietals result in an approachable and full-bodied wine that still has a solid tannin structure to provide good aging potential. Lots of juicy berries and mocha with a smooth, lingering finish. Syrah 2009 This is only our 2nd release of Syrah, one of the new grape varieties that we are working with at our Perfect Hedge vineyard in Osoyoos. Aligned with the classic C?Rotie, this blend of 92% Syrah with 8% Viognier combines the masculinity and depth of Syrah, with the more feminine aromatics of Viognier. Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:00:00 PDT http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/37/Laughing-Stock-Releases-Two-New-Wines/ http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/35/2009-Seven-Stones-Row-128-Merlot-Released/ Seven Stones Winery is pleased to announce the release of their 2009 Row 128 Merlot. Barrel aged for 17 months in French and American oak barrels, Row 128 Merlot has seductive aromas of cherry, mint, olive and leather, followed by a soft mouth-feel and flavors of plum, chocolate and blueberry. The finish is smooth and long lasting. Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:00:00 PDT http://www.okanaganwines.ca/news/35/2009-Seven-Stones-Row-128-Merlot-Released/